Uberti's New 12-shot 22LR Single Action Revolver

I am pleased to see that Uberti has come out with a full-sized 12 shot 22LR single action revolver. It seems like a natural. USFA has a short-lived 12 shot model but it was very expensive and plagued by quality issues.

I think Ruger dropped the ball when they did not offer a 12-shot single action instead of the new Single Ten.

I need to find out more about Uberti. I wonder if this model will require carrying it with the hammer down on an empty cylinder like the original Colt? Will you be able to load two rounds each click of the cylinder like the USFA 12/22? Is Uberti owned by Beretta?

BCCL

January 18, 2013, 08:56 PM

Yes, Uberti is owned by Beretta, that new "Horseman" is essentially a Beretta Stampede.

Since that new .22 12 shot is a "Cattleman", I assume it would need an empty chamber under the hammer, since there is no mention of a transfer bar safety, and the other rimfires by Uberti need an empty chamber under the hammer.

BCCL

January 18, 2013, 09:02 PM

I really want that 12 shot, I have wanted a full size .22 SA, but 6 shot ones always weighed a ton, hope by boring out 12 holes in the cylinder, it will drastically bring the weight down!!

gazpacho

January 18, 2013, 09:05 PM

Ruger did not "drop the ball" with the Single Ten. It has the maximum amount of ammunition that the Single Six frame could fit. They did this to provide a new handy and utilitarian 22lr SA revolver that will fit any holster or complete gun rig that will fit a Single Six. To gain a higher capacity, they would have to use the Blackhawk frame, and the resulting revolver would be even heavier than the Single Six already is.

Reloading a Single Six is already tedious. I have a Single Nine, which is even more tedious to reload. A 12 shot SA revolver would be twice as tedious to reload.

If you want to shoot a lot of 22lr in a revolver, I recommend a Taurus Tracker (9 shot) with HKS speedloaders.

Kynoch

January 18, 2013, 09:59 PM

Ruger did not "drop the ball" with the Single Ten. It has the maximum amount of ammunition that the Single Six frame could fit. They did this to provide a new handy and utilitarian 22lr SA revolver that will fit any holster or complete gun rig that will fit a Single Six. To gain a higher capacity, they would have to use the Blackhawk frame, and the resulting revolver would be even heavier than the Single Six already is.

Reloading a Single Six is already tedious. I have a Single Nine, which is even more tedious to reload. A 12 shot SA revolver would be twice as tedious to reload.

If you want to shoot a lot of 22lr in a revolver, I recommend a Taurus Tracker (9 shot) with HKS speedloaders.

Ruger certainly dropped the ball in my opinion. A 12-shot 22LR revolver based on the Blackhawk or Vaquero would have made a great deal more sense to me.

The result would have been a full-sized revolver that would have fit existing rigs for centerfire single actions. Far more realistic too in terms in history too.

The tedium of reloading is a non-starter. One way or the other the rounds need to be placed in the gun to make it go bang. Spend a bit more time loading a 12-shot or load a 6-shooter twice as much. Your choice. You could even choose to load your 12-shooter with 6 rounds if you really wanted to. I suspect in the end a 12-shooter is less tedious than a 6-shooter through a day of shooting.

Kynoch

January 18, 2013, 10:03 PM

Does anyone here have a good feel for the quality of Uberti revolvers? Are they on a par with Ruger and S&W? How does their service compare to Ruger/S&W?

I wonder if replacement grips for a SAA Colt will fit it?

I wonder if two rounds can be loaded through the loading gate at a time like the USFA 12/22?

BCCL

January 18, 2013, 10:46 PM

I've never had a problem with a Uberti, some may not have the slickest action from "the box", but that can be cleaned up.

dhcustomwork

January 18, 2013, 10:56 PM

No problems from either of my Ubertis. I'd pick up another in a heartbeat.

firesky101

January 19, 2013, 12:02 AM

Not trying to thread jack, but is this legal for me to own in CA? We have exemptions for certain tube magazines, hopefully someone from the legal world living in CA will stop by.

Kynoch

January 19, 2013, 12:12 AM

Not trying to thread jack, but is this legal for me to own in CA? We have exemptions for certain tube magazines, hopefully someone from the legal world living in CA will stop by.

Good question.

USFA shipped their 12/22 to CA and they made a big point of out saying it was legal to do so. I suspect they had a letter from the CA DOJ.

Single action revolvers are a non-issue with regard to the approved roster. The fact that it's a 22 probably has the DOJ treating 22 revolvers along the lines of tube-fed 22 rifles.

ArchAngelCD

January 19, 2013, 12:18 AM

I hope you don't live in NY State because if you do, you can't own that SA .22LR revolver.

bannockburn

January 19, 2013, 06:07 AM

I like that it's on a full size frame and that they have 6 flutes instead of 12 on the cylinder. I would definitely consider getting one over a Ruger Single Ten.

CraigC

January 19, 2013, 11:42 AM

USFA has a short-lived 12 shot model but it was very expensive and plagued by quality issues.
I paid a whopping $676 for my 12/22, which is probably the best made .22 single action ever produced. Aside from Freedom Arms. Not bad considering that this new Uberti will be at least $500. USFA stopped making ALL single actions, not just the 12/22.

I would also love to know of these quality issues it was "plagued" with.

Ruger certainly did not drop the ball with the Single Ten. The platform is much better suited to the cartridge. Most people do not want a Colt SAA-sized .22LR, let alone a large frame Blackhawk. Personally, I find the weight of the 12/22 to be entirely manageable but I have never been in a discussion about it where folks did not complain about the weight of a full sized SAA chambered in .22LR, no matter how many chambers there are.

I plan on picking one up since I don't currently have a 22LR in any gun but a few thousand rounds of it. Now when they actually hit the market places like Bud's will probably be pricing them in the same range as the standard Cattleman models. I've been considering picking up a cheap single action gun for awhile but will hold off now till this comes out.

MrTwigg

January 19, 2013, 11:52 AM

I as really digging the frame on the Uberti ! The six flutes look very traditional too.

I got a up close look at the Ruger single ten at my LGS today, nice feel to it.

ljnowell

January 19, 2013, 01:06 PM

Its amazing that nowadays if a gun company doesnt make a gun exactly like someone wants they "dropped the ball." No one can please everyone all the time and I certainly think that by the way ruger sells guns they havent "dropped the ball."

BCRider

January 19, 2013, 05:50 PM

Uberti makes very nice stuff. At the price point some individual examples might require a little custom work inside to achieve optimum smoothness for trigger and operation. But most certainly they will work right out of the box.

From the linked photo the firing pin fixed to the hammer can be clearly seen. So no transfer bar and you should only load 11 for carrying around.

I'm a sucker for blued and colour case hardening. So this one is more my speed than a Single ten.

I'd have to play with it a while but I suspect that I'd likely make up a 12 pin punching out tool and just remove the cylinder, punch out all the empties at one stab then I could load the holes up two or three at a time and re-install the cylinder in the frame to shoot.

Kynoch

January 19, 2013, 08:26 PM

I hope that Uberi offers the 7.5" barreled version with target sights.

dhcustomwork

January 19, 2013, 10:58 PM

That USFA is a beauty!! And they sure look to command much more than 600 now.

I know I'll be looking for the new Uberti when its out. My son can have my cheapo Plinkerton.

sleepyone

January 19, 2013, 11:21 PM

This is a very timely thread. I'm looking into getting my first .22 revolver. I had convinced myself I was going to get the Single Six convertible 5.5" barrel in SS because it came with the extra .22 Mag cylinder. I love the look of the gun and can count on Ruger quality. I was just on the Ruger Web site and stumbled upon the Single Nine and Single ten.

Does anyone have the Combo model? I have never shot .22 Mag and don't even know why I would need one actually. What do people do with .22 Mag; hunt, plink, compete? Educate me please. I have several .22lr rifles and about 7k rounds of .22lr but only use it for plinking and shooting with the kids and wife and anyone looking to learn to shoot.

weblance

January 20, 2013, 12:58 AM

I have the Single Ten, and 2 Single Six convertibles. The Single Ten is perfect. Its deadly accurate, beautiful, and built to heirloom quality. I really like the Fiber Optic sights, as its easy for my eyes to pick up the green much better than black. When you are plinking, the 4 extra rounds over a six shot just makes it a lot more fun. I dont see how Ruger "dropped the ball" in any way. You wont be able to appeal to everyone, and there are people who will hate just about anything different. If you go into shooting a Single Ten with an open mind, after about 3 cylinders full, you wont be saying Ruger dropped the ball.

I bought my Single Ten first, then decided I wanted a matched Single Six for WMR shooting. I love the SS with the Magnum cylinder. Its a completely different gun with the Magnum cylinder, as opposed to Long Rifle. I use it for long range groundhogs, and have splattered a bunch of them at distances easily over 50 yards with open sights. The WMR cartridge is a flat shooter, with alot more energy than Long Rifle. It even has some recoil, and a nice, satisfying fireball under low light conditions.

I then decided that I wanted a Single Action with a shorter barrel, and bought my 4 5/8" blued Single Six. I wish I would have known there was a Lipseys version in stainless, because I prefer stainless over blue, but my 4 5/8"SS is a beauty, as are the other two.

One thing to keep in mind with the convertibles, they will shoot to two different points of impact, so when sighting in, set your sights to one, or the other cartridge, and then find out where the other cartridge hits and use Kentucky Elevation. Both my convertibles hit the same, left to right with WMR and LR, its the elevation that's different, so I use the term Kentucky Elevation.

This is a very timely thread. I'm looking into getting my first .22 revolver. I had convinced myself I was going to get the Single Six convertible 5.5" barrel in SS because it came with the extra .22 Mag cylinder. I love the look of the gun and can count on Ruger quality. I was just on the Ruger Web site and stumbled upon the Single Nine and Single ten.

Does anyone have the Combo model? I have never shot .22 Mag and don't even know why I would need one actually. What do people do with .22 Mag; hunt, plink, compete? Educate me please. I have several .22lr rifles and about 7k rounds of .22lr but only use it for plinking and shooting with the kids and wife and anyone looking to learn to shoot.

I know three people that own/shoot Single Sixes. None of them ever use the .22 mag cylinders. Your mileage may vary...

BCRider

January 20, 2013, 02:01 AM

Some folks will legitimately use the WMR for hunting some varmints or pests on farms or maybe small meat game. But by far the most commonly shot ammo would be the .22LR. I think a lot of folks like the convertable idea but in the end after a box or two of WMR I suspect the .22LR cylinder is left in the gun for the big majority of the time.

If you're sitting there typing the question it's very likely that you won't want to pay the premium cost for the WMR ammo other than the usual couple of boxes to try it. So the Single 10 or some other dedicated .22LR option makes more sense. I know that in my case I'd far rather shoot .38Spl over .22WMR given that they cost pretty close to the same.

Kynoch

January 20, 2013, 02:04 AM

I paid a whopping $676 for my 12/22, which is probably the best made .22 single action ever produced. Aside from Freedom Arms. Not bad considering that this new Uberti will be at least $500. USFA stopped making ALL single actions, not just the 12/22.

I would also love to know of these quality issues it was "plagued" with.

Ruger certainly did not drop the ball with the Single Ten. The platform is much better suited to the cartridge. Most people do not want a Colt SAA-sized .22LR, let alone a large frame Blackhawk. Personally, I find the weight of the 12/22 to be entirely manageable but I have never been in a discussion about it where folks did not complain about the weight of a full sized SAA chambered in .22LR, no matter how many chambers there are.

The 12/22 was over a thousand dollars when I looked into one. Almost $1,300 for a nickle plated version.

A good friend of mine bought one. Quality issues. USFA finally replaced it with a completely different centerfire revolver. His problems were similar to this person's journey with USFA which was enough to stop me from buying one: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=27169.0 I planned to wait to see if USFA got their act together. Instead they stopped making the 12/22 -- before they stopped making other revolvers. Good luck getting service/parts for your gun. Maybe you can work a trade on a USFA ZiP down the road?

Ruger had not come out with the Single Ten and I find the Single Six rather pedestrian so I waited after I decided to stay away from a potential 12/22 nightmare and bought an S&W 617 instead.

Even though I have reservations about the Single Ten it looks OK. Now that Uberti has created this one I'll wait and see what the actual use feedback is before I make a choice.

You don't know that "Most people do not want a Colt SAA-sized .22LR, let alone a large frame Blackhawk" -- that's simply your opinion. By comparison my S&W 617/6 weighs 44.2 ounces so your 12/22 is hardly heavy -- at least as far as I am concerned.

CraigC

January 20, 2013, 10:57 AM

The problems addressed in that thread are not specific to the 12/22 at all. It is unfortunate but it happens sometimes. It is absolutely NOT typical of USFA's guns or their customer service but I'm glad that your Google-Fu has bestowed such confidence, knowledge and wisdom. Some of us actually do this every day. This is typical of internet nonsense, damn a whole manufacturer and produce line over a one or two bad ones. Apparently you missed the post in that thread where Doc Sunrise said he had SIXTY FIVE USFA's and that they were all excellent.

I don't know where you got your prices from but a blued 12/22 never went over $1000 MSRP and should never sell at MSRP anyway. Yes, the nickel finish carries a hefty premium but that's true of any manufacturer. At any rate, I paid $676 for mine, brand new from Davidson's and my friend paid $500, straight from USFA. Even at full retail, USFA's were a bargain for their quality.

...that's simply your opinion.
No, that's my observation. Judging by words from people's mouths and the fact that they have NEVER been strong sellers. Why do you think Colt only produced a handful of them??? Start a poll if you think the market is frothing for a full sized .22LR SAA then, since you seem to know so much. A rimfire large frame Blackhawk would fail miserably. :rolleyes:

BCCL

January 20, 2013, 01:36 PM

If "most" people wanted something, it would be on the market................

ZVP

January 20, 2013, 03:01 PM

I have owned my Single Six over a decade and still love it!
However I view the revolver as two guns, sepreate personalitys in one frame!
I use the .22RF for GP shooting, paper punching and used to do some hunting with it.
I use the .22 Mag the same way I use my .38 Special, for paper punching,Long range Plinking and Self Defense. I have never shyed away from the .22WMR as a definate caliber and never shunned it for the additional cost of the ammo. In fact, I think my 6 7/8" Single Six shoots BETTER with the Magnums! On paper I can hold smaller groups and at lng range the flat trajectory ensures hits on small targets and vermin.
WHy buy the revolver if you never planned to use the .22WMR as a seperate gun??? The characteristics of the caliber are so fine and the preformance of the caliber turns the little Ruger into a whole different gun! It preforms much like a centerfire!
I thought that Ruger used to sell a .22RF only Model but maybe not? It would make sense to sell a seperate Model but maybe the manageement chose not to continue. There is a definate market just like theorigonater of this post would buy.
Personally, I have found more use of the Magnum cylinder lately than the RF one. the reasonable cost of WMR these days compared to .357Mags for my Vaquero makes the S/S a real deal to shoot!
JMHO
ZVP

Jaymo

January 20, 2013, 05:03 PM

I love my single six and wish it was a convertible. I may look for a good, used convertible, just for shooting .22 mag.
I wonder if Ruger would fit a .22 mag cylinder to my late 70s single six?
.22 mag ammo prices are definitely hard to swallow, compared to .22 LR.
Maybe I should just save up for a Single 9.
Can't wait for the current stupidity to end, so prices can get back to a more normal level.

The Uberti 12 shot .22 makes a great understudy for one of their centerfire models. For non-reloaders, its a great way to shoot a gun that has the same size, weight, design, and trigger as their .44/.45/.357/etc, for a lot less money.

Vern Humphrey

January 20, 2013, 05:32 PM

Like the new Horseman series to!
The description of the Horseman, and the price is very tempting. In addition, I'm queer for .45s.

Kynoch

January 20, 2013, 07:39 PM

The problems addressed in that thread are not specific to the 12/22 at all. It is unfortunate but it happens sometimes. It is absolutely NOT typical of USFA's guns or their customer service but I'm glad that your Google-Fu has bestowed such confidence, knowledge and wisdom. Some of us actually do this every day. This is typical of internet nonsense, damn a whole manufacturer and produce line over a one or two bad ones. Apparently you missed the post in that thread where Doc Sunrise said he had SIXTY FIVE USFA's and that they were all excellent.

I don't know where you got your prices from but a blued 12/22 never went over $1000 MSRP and should never sell at MSRP anyway. Yes, the nickel finish carries a hefty premium but that's true of any manufacturer. At any rate, I paid $676 for mine, brand new from Davidson's and my friend paid $500, straight from USFA. Even at full retail, USFA's were a bargain for their quality.

No, that's my observation. Judging by words from people's mouths and the fact that they have NEVER been strong sellers. Why do you think Colt only produced a handful of them??? Start a poll if you think the market is frothing for a full sized .22LR SAA then, since you seem to know so much. A rimfire large frame Blackhawk would fail miserably. :rolleyes:

I certainly wouldn't buy a gun from USFA. It sounds like their quality levels were hit and miss. Maybe that's why they abandoned the market?

Nickle finishes do not always come at a super premium price. You're simply wrong about that.

Maybe we should start a poll asking the question of why Uberti recently got into this business?

Kynoch

January 20, 2013, 07:43 PM

I love my single six and wish it was a convertible. I may look for a good, used convertible, just for shooting .22 mag.
I wonder if Ruger would fit a .22 mag cylinder to my late 70s single six?
.22 mag ammo prices are definitely hard to swallow, compared to .22 LR.
Maybe I should just save up for a Single 9.
Can't wait for the current stupidity to end, so prices can get back to a more normal level.

The Uberti 12 shot .22 makes a great understudy for one of their centerfire models. For non-reloaders, its a great way to shoot a gun that has the same size, weight, design, and trigger as their .44/.45/.357/etc, for a lot less money.

I was watching Single 10's on Bud's. Their price was never raised after the massacre but they did finally run out a few days ago.

CraigC

January 20, 2013, 11:29 PM

I certainly wouldn't buy a gun from USFA. It sounds like their quality levels were hit and miss.
Rumors get started by such ignorant statements. If you want to judge an entire manufacturer's product line, one infamous for producing some of the finest revolvers ever seen, by two problem guns then you are certainly free to do so. However, you will not do so on a public forum without resistance. To judge their quality as "hit and miss" is not only short sighted but gives an unflattering view of your experience with such things. Let's be real, you were never gonna buy one anyway.

Maybe that's why they abandoned the market?
Wrong, try again. Maybe you should ask questions instead of making wild guesses and assumptions???

Yes, if a manufacturer offers a bright nickel finish, it is usually a premium over standard finishes like hot salt blue. Matte finishes are a different story because they do not undergo the meticulous prep work before plating. Always been that way. You're simply wrong about that. Both Colt and USFA charge a premium for nickel plating over hot salt blue. Just as the carbona blued Pre-war comes at a premium over the standard single action.

There was an idiot who shot poorly cast bullets through a Freedom Arms 97 and eventually egged out his bore. Bob Baker had never seen anything like it. You gonna judge Freedom Arms as "hit and miss" because of one gun? Or would you rather find out the rest of the story?

Go back 100yrs. Several manufacturers, including Colt, Great Western and J.P. Sauer have produced full sized SAA's chambered in .22LR. All have failed miserably due to poor sales. Why? Because 'most' shooters don't want a .22LR that big and heavy. Meanwhile, millions of Single Sixes and Bearcats have been sold. They vote with their dollars. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I wouldn't have a 12/22 if I thought so. The reality is that most shooters don't want one.

Not everybody woke up this morning and decided to start reading about single action revolvers on the internet. :rolleyes:

PS, you said in another thread that the 12/22 you looked at was $750, not $1000.

Chevelle SS

January 20, 2013, 11:32 PM

Where do I sign? :D

Kynoch

January 21, 2013, 03:34 AM

Rumors get started by such ignorant statements. If you want to judge an entire manufacturer's product line, one infamous for producing some of the finest revolvers ever seen, by two problem guns then you are certainly free to do so. However, you will not do so on a public forum without resistance. To judge their quality as "hit and miss" is not only short sighted but gives an unflattering view of your experience with such things. Let's be real, you were never gonna buy one anyway.

I wouldn't buy from USFA for a number of reasons. They have given up on more than one product line. They have announced more than one vaporware product. Then there are the quality issues. Now they're not around in their former presence to support what they have sold. Maybe they'll give you on a discount on a ZiP if you run into troubles?

FWIW, I simply deleted your rude ad hominems throughout your retort.

Yes, if a manufacturer offers a bright nickel finish, it is usually a premium over standard finishes like hot salt blue. Matte finishes are a different story because they do not undergo the meticulous prep work before plating. Always been that way. You're simply wrong about that. Both Colt and USFA charge a premium for nickel plating over hot salt blue. Just as the carbona blued Pre-war comes at a premium over the standard single action.

A price adder? Yes. A "hefty premium" nope. Thought you sold that one, aye?

Go back 100yrs. Several manufacturers, including Colt, Great Western and J.P. Sauer have produced full sized SAA's chambered in .22LR. All have failed miserably due to poor sales. Why? Because 'most' shooters don't want a .22LR that big and heavy. Meanwhile, millions of Single Sixes and Bearcats have been sold. They vote with their dollars. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I wouldn't have a 12/22 if I thought so. The reality is that most shooters don't want one.

Someone should have told Uberti, huh? :rolleyes:

PS, you said in another thread that the 12/22 you looked at was $750, not $1000.

Yes, a used one. Probably had quality issues as well.

CraigC

January 21, 2013, 10:43 AM

If my response is perceived as rude it is because your accusations are unfounded, baseless and irresponsible. Period. You are judging a very well respected company by one or two problem guns and that is not a fair assessment. You obviously woke up one morning and decided to become a single action expert that day after exercising your Google-Fu. I would suggest asking more questions and making fewer statements because you obviously do not know what you're talking about. The two examples you found are VERY rare. In fact, I have never, up to this point, heard of such a problem with a USFA sixgun and I do this every day. Plus, I actually own four of them and they are among the finest single action revolvers ever built.

They have abandoned all single action production because the president is a flake.

If you really knew anything about this subject you would know that product support is not an issue either.

If you found a used 12/22 for $750 then that gun was overpriced. Unless it was nickel.

Yes, I'm sure the folks at Uberti know that full sized .22 SAA's have never sold very well. Like I just said, I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I'm just saying they have never sold very well. You can get butt-hurt over that if you want to but it is undeniable fact. In 26yrs of owning, shooting, studying and talking about single action revolvers, the overwhelming consensus is that very few want a .22LR that heavy.

Has anyone here actually fired the Uberti 12 shooter yet? I sure wish hickok45 would get his hands on one...

AFDavis11

February 14, 2013, 06:19 PM

Those pictures are breath-taking.

RugerOldArmy

February 14, 2013, 06:37 PM

Those USFAs look awesome. They make good stuff.

....but I'd replace the grips with rosewood/cocobolo ones as soon as I could. Are they plastic?

Vern Humphrey

February 14, 2013, 09:03 PM

A USFA 12/22 just went for $1800 on GB...
Holee Smoke! You can buy a genuine Colt for that!

jimbo555

February 15, 2013, 08:09 AM

I have the Uberti stallion 10 shot 22lr and the quality is excellent.Mine is the target model with 51/2 inch barrel and adjustable sights.I'm very pleased with it.

Vern Humphrey

February 15, 2013, 07:02 PM

No. But then no one but Colt makes a gun with a pony on it.

CraigC

February 15, 2013, 10:51 PM

You can buy a "genuine Colt" (like that means something to everybody) for $1200 but it won't be a 12-shot .22 so how is that relevant??? I could've bought a "genuine Colt" instead of the USFA .44Spl pictured but it would be an inferior sixgun with a modern finish. Who cares about a name if you can buy a better gun for less money??? I'm just really glad I'm not so blinded by that stupid horse on the side of 'some' guns that I overlook obvious differences in build quality. :rolleyes: